Coca-Cola's Debabrata Mukherjee talks about the trends that will matter in 2016

There is already a huge sense of "What does it actually do?" versus "How latest is it?" I believe that this will accelerate. We have to keep this squarely in mind as we approach portfolio expansion for the future.January 20, 2016, 16:16 IST

We face the same dilemma today in multiple industries. I believe that organizations will listen far more to the consumer voice and act rapidly – three months today is akin to three years of the past.By Debabrata Mukherjee

By the time you read this you would have gone through about 732 articles on similar sounding topics and 2016 has only just sauntered into the station. I have therefore no pretence that what I will proffer is new to the world wisdom. This does not purport to be a treatise on new technological trends or media proliferation (I do not feel adequately equipped to comment on either!) but is more an attempt to summarise what I am seeing around me and trying to stay in step with in the upcoming year. So, here go my few pointers.

Intelligent listening and urgency (not haste!) will rule.

I attended a focus group analysis as a participant (unknowingly if I may add) for a radio channel in the mid 90's. They were grappling with the threat of multiple new entrants. I remember the 10 odd members in the room (me included) did not pull any punches and unequivocally told them to raise their game. They took more than three years to make the basic changes and had the rug pulled squarely from under their feet. We face the same dilemma today in multiple industries. I believe that organizations will listen far more to the consumer voice and act rapidly – three months today is akin to three years of the past. Instead of prefixing listening with 'serious' I use the word 'intelligent' as there will be too many things to listen to as everyone who is anyone will have an opinion – the trick will be to separate the wheat from the chaff and act appropriately but quickly.

Random more will yield to segmented less.

It is a crazy world today with too many non-differentiated players selling too many non-di f ferentiated things at too many non-differentiated prices. I think one will see less of this. I already have too many 32GB USBs at home, each bought cheaper than last and each with less content than the previous one. I feel that this world of random more will ease and manufacturers and sellers will start segmenting better and will communicate more effectively with these segments. Hence I guess all of us marketers across categories need to be able to distil sharper insights so that we can drive stronger connect. That said, do buy the next USBs as long as the gravy train chugs along.

Real innovation will trump perceived innovation.

No longer will we be able to get away by approaching birthday gifts from the lens of recency – the latest electronic gadget, the newest range of personal effects etc. There is already a huge sense of "What does it actually do?" versus "How latest is it?" I believe that this will accelerate. We have to keep this squarely in mind as we approach portfolio expansion for the future. However, if your 2016 edition of whatever you are into is nearing commercialization, don't put the brakes on; just throw in some more of what really works.

Outdoor will be in

There will be more people outdoor in '16. "On the go" will be the way of life. Anything that accompanies that out of home life will be in. So, go ahead, look out of the window and find relevance. Set up an urgent meeting with your product development head. You won't regret it.

Most companies are struggling with urban growth. There are too many organizations chasing too much of the rural pie. This will continue but I believe that urban India will revive in the coming year. More money will flow into this segment (the pay commission recommendation is also a pointer) and this will lead to transactions – especially given the broad spectrum of spending avenues that exist. An urgent need is to get the channel mix and distribution ducks in a row.

None of us will be as smart as all of us.

Someone said "You ask 200 million youth every year to be top of the class for 19 odd years and beat everyone else in the race and then you say, now you are part of an organization, go collaborate!" Counter- intuitive, right? Well, however preachy this may sound, I have to admit that if there ever was a need to put all shoulders to the wheel to drive cross-linkages in an organization, the time is now. Only a superior product or a fancy distribution system will not guarantee success – an integrated holistic approach will be required to win. So befriend a few more colleagues next year – a few extra dinners at home will not hurt.

I have a few more (like despite a great start Leicester City might not go the distance) but will pause for now. I have a few calls to make and need to act on a few of the above.

(The author is vice president – marketing and commercial, Coca-Cola India and south west Asia. Views expressed are personal.)